CVC WORDS

d.  Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (CVC) words.

Body Touch - Blend words touching parts of the body.  Touch the head as you say the beginning sound in the word.  Touch the stomach as you say the middle sound.  Touch the feet as you say the final sound.  Quickly move from head to feet and blend the sounds.  Next, challenge children to isolate where they hear the sound.

For example:  Where do you hear the /p/ in cap?  (Children touch toes.)

Letter Tin - Place magnetic letters inside a cookie tin.  On the inside cover make three lines with a permanent marker.  Have the children take out the letters and place them around the lid.  Call out a sound and have the children select that letter and place it on the first line in the lid.  Call out a second sound.  Call out a third sound.  Blend the sounds and read the word.

Hint!  Adapt the number of letters to the ability of the students.

*Store small magnetic letters in a breath mint tin.

*Let children use magnetic letters on a cookie sheet.

Unifix Cubes - Place dot stickers on unifix cubes.  Write letters on the dots.

Children can use these for constructing words.

ONSETS AND RIMES

c.  Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words.

“Onset” refers to the initial letter or blend.  “Rime” is the vowel and letters following it.

Word Family Song - Sing this song to the tune of “BINGO.” 

            There is word family you should know

            And at is it’s name-o.

            M-a-t, mat

            H-a-t, hat

            C-a-t, cat

            They end in at you know.

*Write the words on a chart and point to them as you sing.

Addams Family  - Sing word families to the tune from “The Addams Family.”

            There’s cat and there’s hat. 

            There’s mat and there’s rat.

            There’s fat and there’s bat. 

            The ‘at’ family!”

Block Rimes - Cut paper the size of square and rectangular unit blocks.

Write onsets on the squares and rimes on the rectangles.  Children put blocks together and read words.

Rime Eggs -   Using plastic eggs, write onsets with a permanent marker on one half of the egg.  Write a rime on the other.  Children twist the egg and read the words.  

Rime Books – Make popsicle stick books by folding two sheets of paper into fourths.  Punch two holes on the folded side and insert a rubber band.  Loop ends of the rubber band around a popsicle stick as shown.  Cut half way through.  Write onsets on the left and rimes on the right.           

*You can also make a rime book with a spiral index card notebook.

Note!  It’s important to do real words as well as nonsense words. 

Flower Rimes - Cut 4” circles out of construction paper.  Cut paper petals similar to the ones shown.  Children write the “rime” on the circle and then write words on the petals.

RHYMING WORDS

RF.K.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

a.  Recognize and produce rhyming words.

Rhyme Detectives - Tell the children that they will get to be detectives and

listen for words that rhyme.  You say a word, and they put their pinkies up if they hear a word that rhymes with it.   Pinkies down if it doesn’t rhyme. 

For example:  Cat - hat (pinkies up), run - dog (pinkies down).            

Handy Rhymes - Have children extend their arms as they say pairs of words

that rhyme.  For example:  sun (extend right hand) - fun (extend left hand).  As

they progress, the teacher says a word as children extend their right hand. 

Children say their own rhyming word as they extend their left hand.

Rhyme Ball - You will need a ball, beanbag, or other object to toss for

this game.  Children sit or stand in a circle.  The teacher             says a word and then tosses the ball to a child.  As the child catches the ball, she must say a word that rhymes.

Riddle Rhyme Game - Let children make up their own rhymes in this game.  First,

they choose an object in the room.  Next, they say a word that it rhymes, along with another clue.  For example:  “This rhymes with hair and it is something you sit on.”  “This rhymes with look and it is something you read.”

Nursery Rhymes - Sing traditional nursery rhymes to tunes such as “100 Bottles

Pop on the Wall,” “Yankee Doodle,” “Sweet Betsy from Pike,”             and ”Gilligan’s Island.”

Nursery Rhyme Websites – Visit these websites for other great activities with

nursery rhymes:

            curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/wil/rimes_and_rhymes         

            readwritethink.org                        enchantedlearning.com

            literactive.com                        teachersandfamilies.com

            mrsdiminnie.com (Take home books.)

                    

YEEHAW!

After a fantastic trip, I am home for a few days.  We didn’t have television, wifi, or phone service in Yellowstone and the Tetons, but what we did have was glorious and wonderful nature!  We live in the most incredible country!!!  Here are pictures of “Cowgirl Kalina” and “Camper K.J.”

SYLLABLES

b.  Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.

Move It! Clap, hop, walk, or nod the syllables in children’s names and classroom objects.  Disco, hula, swim, or march to syllables in rhymes and songs.

Hickety Pickety – Slowly clap hands to the beat as you say the chant below.

            Hickety, pickety bumblebee

            Who can say their name for me?  Child’s name.

            Clap it.  (Clap out syllables as you say the name.)

            Snap it.  (Snap syllables in name.)

            Whisper it.  (Whisper name.)

            No sound.  (Lip sinc name.)

Instruments - Have children beat out syllables with instruments.  You could also use cardboard rollers, straws, pencils, etc. like drum sticks to tap out rhythms and syllables.

Syllable Show - Slowly say a word.  Children hold up the number of syllables

they hear on their fingers.

*You could also let them show the number of syllables by placing the appropriate number of poker chips on their desk.

                       

Mouth It - Have children gently place their palm under their chin and ask them repeat to words.  Surprise!  The mouth opens on each syllable (all syllables have vowels and the mouth opens).

Sound Sack –  Take a small sack and fill it with common objects or small toys.  Engage children’s attention with this song to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot.”

            What’s in the sound sack, who can tell?

            Maybe it’s a book or maybe it’s a shell?

            What’s in the sound sack, who can say?

            Blend the sounds, you’ll know right away!

Choose an object and stretch out the sounds.  When children can blend the sounds and say the word, remove it from the sack and place it on the floor.  Before putting each item back in the bag, segment the sounds again.            

*Start with compound words.  When children are successful with that, use objects with two syllables.  Finally, children will be able to blend individual phonemes.

Finger Tap -  Bend in your fingers and extend your thumb.  Going from the left

tap a finger for each sound with your thumb. 

For example:  /j/ /e/ /t/.  Run your thumb over your fingers as you blend the sounds and say the word.

*You can do a similar activity by extending your left arm in front of you.  Make the first sound as you touch your shoulder, the second sound as you touch the elbow, and the third sound as you touch the hand.  Then quickly sweep the

right hand down your left arm as you blend the sounds and say the word.

LETTER SOUND CORRESPONDENCE

RF.K.3.  Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding.

a.  Demonstrate basic knowledge of letter-sound correspondence by producing the primary or most frequent sounds for each consonant.

Letter Pops – Here’s a great tool for making letter-sound connections.  Purchase a set of magnetic letters and glue them to jumbo craft sticks.  (E6000 glue is my favorite!)  Pass out the letters and children can hold them up at the appropriate time in the songs below. 

*They can also match letter pops up to classroom print and use them to make CVC words.

Singing and Moving Letters – Here are some songs where children can sing and learn.

            What’s This Letter?

            (Tune:  “Bingo”)

            Oh, what’s this letter, do you know?

            What letter can this be – o

            /a/ /a/ /a/  It’s an A (shout)

            /a/ /a/ /a/   it’s an A!

            /a/ /a/ /a/   It’s an A!

            That is it’s name-o.

            b….z

            The Letters on the Bus

            (Tune:  “The Wheels on the Bus”)

            The letters on the bus all make their sounds,

            Make their sounds,

            Make their sounds.

            The letters on the bus all make their sounds

            All around the town.

            The B on the bus goes /b/ /b/ /b/, /b/ /b/ /b, /b/ /b/ /b/,

            The B on the bus goes /b/ /b/ /b/ all around the town.

            Who Let the Letters Out?

            (“Who Let the Dogs Out?”)

            Who let the A out?           

            /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/

            Who let the B out?  etc.

            Seven Little Letters

            (“Five Little Ducks”)

            (Choose 7 children to wear letter vests.)

            Seven little letters went out one day,            (Children hold hands            

            Over the hill and far away.                         in a circle.)

            When the teacher called /f/f/f/f/                       

            Only the letter f came back.                                   

            (Child wearing “f” skips to the teacher.)

            The Alphabet in My Mouth

            (“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”)

            I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth.

            I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth.

            I’ve got the whole alphabet in my mouth,

            And I can read.

            I’ve got A - /a/ /a/ - in my mouth.           

            I’ve got B - /b/ /b/ - in my mouth.        

            I’ve got C - /c/ /c/ - in my mouth,

            And I can read.

*Take a photo of each child in the classroom with their mouth wide open.  Enlarge.  Glue a letter in the middle of each child’s mouth.  Put the pictures together to make class book.

LETTER RECOGNITION

d.  Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

Highway Letters and Vests – These are a MUST in any classroom.  Go to makinglearningfun.com to download the highway letters.  Insert them in clear sheet protectors.  Children can drive cars over these, trace the letters with a dry erase marker, place Wiki Stix on top, etc.  Punch holes at the top and tie on string so children can wear these as you sing songs.  Children stand up when the letter that they are wearing is sung in the song.

Letter Man – Letter Man also wants to help children learn letters.  He’s made from a small swing trash can available at the Dollar Tree.  Decorate with googly eyes, pompoms and felt scraps.  Children can feed Letter Man letters that they know, letters in their name, make words and feed him, letters in alphabetical order, and so forth.

Letter Looker – Loop around a pipe cleaner to make a “letter looker.”  Children can identify letters in the classroom and in books with their lookers.

Sock It to Me – Cut socks out of construction paper.  Write uppercase letters on half the socks and lowercase letters on the other half.  Children match upper and lowercase letters and use a clothespin to put them together.

Pictures, Letters, Words – Make a brochure from a sheet of paper.  (This is easy if you roll the paper into a burrito and smash it.)  Children cut out pictures from the newspaper or magazines and glue them in the first section.  They cut out letters and glue them in the middle section.  Words are cut out and glued in the third section.

Class Alphabet Books – Write different letters of the alphabet in the middle of a sheet of paper.  Each child selects a letter and creates an object, animal, or design out of the letter.  Can they turn the letter into something that starts with that sound?  Put their pictures together to make a class alphabet book.

*Hint!  You can make alphabet books to go with almost any theme, such as “Foods We Eat,” “Animals,” “Toys,” etc.

Alpha-Body Book – Divide children into groups of 4.  Challenge them to lay on the floor and make letters of the alphabet with their bodies.  Take photos and put them together to make a class alphabet book.           

Singing Sound – Music is the most convenient way to learn anything!  Here are a few songs to familiar tunes that children will enjoy singing.

            Alphardy

            (Tune:  “Jeopardy”)

            A for apple a-a-a.  (Pretend to eat an apple.)

            B for bounce B-B-B.  (Bounce a ball.)

            C for cut c-c-c.  (Open and close index and middle fingers.)

            D for dig d-d-d.  (Pretend to dig.)

            E – elbow  (Point to elbow.)

            F – fan  (Fan self with hand.)

            G – gallop  (Gallop in place.)

            H – hop  (Hop on one foot.)

            I – itch  (Scratch self.)

            J – jump  (Jump up and down.)

            K – kick  (Little kicks with foot.)

            L – love  (Hug self.)

            M – munch  (Move mouth as if eating.)

            N – nod  (Nod head.)

            O – opera  (Extend arms and sing dramatically.)

            Q – quiet  (Index finger on lips.)

            R  – run  (Run in place.)

            S – sew  (Pretend to hold a needle and sew.)

            T – talk  (Open and close fingers like a mouth.)

            U – upside  (Lean over.)

            V – volley  (Hands in air and pretend to volley a ball.)

            W – wiggle   (Wiggle all over.)

            X – x-ray   (Make “x” with arms.)

            Y – yawn  (Extend arms and pretend to yawn.)

            Z – zigzag  (Make an imaginary “z” in the air.)

            Letter sounds are all you need.

            Put them together and you can read! 

            (Hold palms together and open like a book.)

            *Download this book as well as the ABC chart at drjean.org.

           

            This Is a Tale

            (“Gilligan’s Island”)

            This is a tale about the letter A.           

            It makes a special sound.

            /a/ /a/ /a / /a/ A!

            Let’s learn another sound….

            *You can download the book for this song at drjean.org.

            Happy Birthday Letters

            Yo, A,, it’s your birthday.

            Let’s all read

            Like your birthday.

            /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/

            /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/

Sign Language – Sign language is multi-sensory and a perfect vehicle for learning letters and sounds.  Go to aslpro.com to learn the manual signs for letters.                    (Tune:  “Where Is Thumbkin?”)

            Children repeat each line.

            Where is A?  (Hands behind back.)

            Here I am.            (Make sign for “a.”)

            What do you say, A?

            /a/, /a/, /a/.

            Continue using other letters and making the manual signs.